Eagle Hatches New Product Inspection Technologies at interpack 2014

Tampa, Florida, US – Eagle Product Inspection (Eagle) swooped into Dusseldorf, Germany, 8-14 May 2014, for interpack 2014 with a host of systems representing the latest innovations in in-line fat analysis and product inspection technology. The company's representatives showed visitors to Hall 13, Stand D12 a number of new systems designed to address food manufacturers' quality control needs for complex container packages, as well as the meat industry's demand for multifunctional fat analysis and product inspection technology.

On display for the very first time was Eagle's cutting-edge FA3, an innovative high-performance in-line fat, moisture and protein analysis system for fresh or frozen meat products. It has been developed to meet producers' needs for efficiency and multi-functionality. As well as analyzing protein, moisture and fat content, the technology also offers contaminant detection and weight measurement simultaneously, speeding up throughput rates for manufacturers keen to optimize productivity.

Incorporating Eagle's advanced SimulTask™ image analysis software, the FA3 provides peerless measurement of chemical lean, over varying meat thicknesses, enabling manufacturers to ensure a high-quality product for end consumers. The system's innovative UPSHOT™ Compact X-Ray Imaging Geometry, further improves Eagle's reputable single beam design to allow scanning of the meat from the base, with detectors located above the belt. This offers closer placement of the x-ray source to the product to enhance detection sensitivity for foreign bodies such as bone, wire and other metal fragments, glass, stone, rubber and plastics - addressing manufacturers'food safety concerns and allowing them to meet regulatory demands. Its sanitary design can withstand even the harshest of wash down regimes, maximizing durability and reliability for meat producers and manufacturers.

Speaking about the new technology, Simon King, Global Head Sales, Service and Marketing, at Eagle Product Inspection, explained: "This is testament to our commitment to innovation to make the best technology in the industry even better. By developing products that truly 'do it all', we can help manufacturers realize their efficiency and productivity goals, reducing waste and making tangible cost savings".

In addition to the FA3, visitors were treated to a real-time demonstration of Eagle's brand new Tall PRO XSDV, a dual view x-ray inspection system for packaged products complete with a special new reject function. The technology offers superior sensitivity, capable of detecting contaminants up to 50 per cent smaller than traditional machines. With a single x-ray generator, the Tall PRO XSDV produces two beams, enabling the inspection of different sides of each pack as it passes through the search head, maximizing detection rates.

The Tall PRO XSDV features a slim-line profile with a small footprint that is ideal for food production facilities with limited factory floor space. It is suitable for the inspection of tall rigid containers, including ready meals, powdered products, food cans, sauce bottles, or food pouches. The system is even able to check fill levels on packs, facilitating portion control for enhanced production line efficiency.

Simon King added: "A major trend over the last few years has been for manufacturers to try to maximize the productivity of their existing processing facilities, rather than build new sites. To achieve this with limited factory floor space, it has become imperative to source either multi-functional machinery or those with ever smaller footprints. Innovative x-ray technology can allow manufacturers to make the most of the space on their production lines while actually enhancing contaminant detection to help them uphold consumer safety”.

Eagle representatives also demonstrated to visitors how users of the Tall PRO XSDV could benefit from integrating the company's proprietary TraceServer™ and TraceViewer™ data collection software into their production line. Collecting valuable production data as well as machine status information from multiple Eagle inspection devices at the same time, TraceServer™ is able to consolidate records and store them in one easy-access database, maximizing overall efficiency for manufacturers. With TraceViewer™, users can view or print records for later analysis, and can even access files from other programs using standard SQL application interfaces.

The Eagle™ Pack 550 PRO x-ray inspection system was also on display at interpack 2014. Featuring Eagle™ Material Discrimination X-ray Technology (MDX), the advanced dual energy solution is capable of detecting and removing a wide range of metallic and non-metallic contaminants in products with complex density levels, such as pre-packed salads, snack items or vegetables. The technology is suitable for large bags, pouches, cartons, thermoform trays, and multipack containers.

Simon King concluded: "There is a lot of pressure placed on food and meat producers these days by stringent food safety legislation and a number of other factors such as production costs and consumer demands. It is vital that product inspection system manufacturers keep this in mind when developing new technologies. Not only should product innovations provide high performance, they should also support food manufacturers in meeting the many challenges facing the food sector".

"As demonstrated by the technologies on show at interpack this year, that is precisely what we at Eagle always strive to do. We always seek to understand the motivations and needs of our customers to ensure we continue to meet and exceed their requirements well into the future".

Eagle Product Inspection is a pioneer in advanced x-ray inspection and fat analysis systems, delivering robust, market-leading technology and expertise to food and beverage processors and manufacturers around the world. The Eagle Product Inspection line of x-ray inspection systems evaluates in process and finished products for contaminants such as metal, glass, stone and bone while also having the ability to analyze the fat content of meat, count components, check seal integrity as well as measure mass and assess fill levels. With its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and local offices across the globe, Eagle Product Inspection machines meet today's Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification requirements. Eagle and its partners work in close collaboration to ensure that food and beverage manufacturers and their customers in turn can rest assured that the quality of every product is upheld.